The estranged husband of Rebecca “Becky” Postle Bliefnick, an Illinois nurse and mother, was convicted of her murder by a jury on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said Timothy “Tim” Bliefnick, 40, rode a bicycle to her house, shimmied up to a second-floor window, forced his way in using a crowbar, chased her to the bathroom and shot her 14 times on the night of Feb. 23, 2022. Becky’s father, William Postle, found her body.
The jury in Adams County deliberated less than a day before finding Tim Bliefnick guilty of first-degree murder and home invasion. The trial lasted seven days.
In a now-infamous appearance on “Family Feud” in 2020, Tim joked about regretting his marriage, telling host Steve Harvey that the “biggest mistake” he made at his wedding was saying “I do.”
In 2021, the couple filed for divorce, which became acrimonious due to disputes about custody arrangements for their three sons, financial support and protective orders.
In closing arguments in the murder case, prosecutor Josh Jones said that authorities and her divorce attorneys had failed Becky when she repeatedly asked for help, telling them she was afraid Tim would hurt her or take their kids. A number of friends testified that Becky had told them Tim was becoming more “vengeful and unpredictable,” Jones recounted in closing arguments.
“If something ever happens to me, please make sure the number one person of interest is Tim, as that is who would do something to me,” Becky texted her sister, Sarah Reilly, according to Reilly’s testimony.
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In another text to a childhood friend, Nicole Bateman, Becky wrote, “I am scared of his behavior and constant lies… on top of that he has our guns and ammunition,” Bateman testified.
On Friday, Quincy Police Department detective Eric Cowick testified that he found a history of Google searches on Tim’s laptop that included “How to open my door with a crowbar,” “How to make a homemade pistol silencer,” “Can you wash off gunpowder residue” and “What is the average Quincy police department response time.”
Eight shell casings found at the crime scene were fired from the same gun as 27 shell casings police found at Tim Bliefnick’s house, Illinois State Police forensics expert Vickie Reels testified Tuesday. The gun hasn’t been found.
Defense attorney Casey Schnack emphasized that investigators didn’t find DNA, fingerprint, hair or fiber evidence that could link Tim Bliefnick to the crime, that they didn’t find a weapon and that the ballistics evidence was not necessarily reliable. She added that investigators couldn’t confirm when the Google searches were made and suggested they could’ve happened later out of his curiosity about the investigation.
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Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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